Yemen's President Thinks Drones Are Smarter than Humans

Yemen's president is so in love with the fleet of drones the U.S. uses in his country that he thinks they're more advanced than the human brain.

In an interview with the Washington Post, president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi revealed how impressive he finds the drones. "The drone technologically is more advanced than the human brain," he said. He also admitted to giving consent every time the U.S. executes a drone strike in his country. "Every operation, before taking place, they take permission from the president," Hadi told the Post. The U.S. promised this week that they always get consent from a country's president before executing a drone strike.

Drone strikes in Yemen have skyrocketed in the last year. There have been 33 drone strikes in Yemen this year alone, more than three times as many as 2011. The credit for the surge in attack goes partially to Hadi, who was elected in February.

Some of the credit also goes to Al Queda's presence in Yemen, who took advantage of violent turmoil before Hadi assumed power to increase their presence in the country, and to become one of the most dangerous Al Queda branchs in the world. Hadi also told the Post about a joint Yemen-U.S. intelligence operation set up outside of Sanaa, the capital city. The foiled underwear bomber plot that fueled a national security leak controversy originated in Yemen.

News reports are focusing on the Germanwings pilot's possible depression, following a familiar script in the wake of mass killings. But the evidence shows violence is extremely rare among the mentally ill.